Amending the wrongs
by Egyptian Dreamer
Summary: After Hao absorded his soul,Yoh was able to feel all the anger and pain that the other had gone through all these years. But now that he's back, will his new knowledge help him develop a proper relationship with his brother? At least he hopes so.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Shaman king story everyone, I hope it's not disappointing.**

**I never liked the way the anime ended, with Hao and Yoh trying to kill each other like that. Twins shouldn't be forced to fight. It just felt wrong watching that. That's why I'm writing this story. For all those who think the same!**

**PLEASE READ THIS!**

**This story begins from the episode that Hao took Yoh's soul but it proceeds a little differently. If you guys remember, in the anime Yoh woke up again after a while to everyone's surprise. I've kept that part but in this story, Yoh regains consciousness after Hao obtained the Great Spirits, when the Spirit of Fire had taken that green color. **

**Now that it's all cleared, let's move on with the story!**

**CHAPTER ONE : ****Embracing the bond**

Darkness.

Why was everything so dark in here? Why was everything so silent? Where was everyone?

That constant darkness was making him really nervous, stirring the urge to run within him. But for some reason… he couldn't move. Actually, he wasn't even able to feel his other body parts, not in the slightest. He just felt… numb.

And not just sensation. He was void of every emotion. He couldn't even bring himself to feel confused. Not that he minded actually. He hadn't felt so peaceful in a very long time.

And then he heard it.

Voices. Whispering softly. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he was really annoyed. That little bit of noise was disturbing his peace.

He strained to listen more carefully. He had the weirdest feeling that what they were saying was important. And just like that, the words got louder.

_Demon._

His heart sank. Did he hear right?

_Monster._

_What a frightening man. Is he really human?_

_He killed them! That demon killed them all!_

_He's evil!_

_Kill him! He deserves it! Kill him!_

No! He didn't want to hear anything else. He wanted the voices to go away. That's right. He was better off without them. He wanted the silence back.

_He's the devil!__ He doesn't deserve to live! _

_Eliminate him!_

Why wouldn't they go away? He wanted them to leave him alone.

_Demon!_

_Monster!_

_Murderer!_

And suddenly, he wasn't alone anymore. A figure appeared next to him, a man. Strange, he seemed familiar. With those long hair and weird looking hat on his head. The man's eyes landed on him for a moment before they were quickly averted.

But that single moment was more than enough for him to catch a glimpse of the pain lingering in those dark depths.

_You filth!_

_You have no right to live, you monster!_

Stop. Can't you see you're hurting him? Why are you doing this?

_Demon!_

_Murderer!_

STOOOP!

And then, there was quiet. They stopped. The voices had finally ceased. The man turned to look at him again, the same sad expression upon his face. And then he was gone too. Flames erupted out of nowhere, engulfing the figure.

Once they finally died down, another figure stood in the man's place. It was the same person and yet at the same time it wasn't. This one though, he instantly recognized.

When Hao's brown eyes connected with his own, he felt like he was being torn apart. So many different kind of emotions surged through him.

Anger. Fury. Hatred. Sorrow. Loneliness. Repulsion.

And many more but those were the most overwhelming. And once again, he was all alone. Hao was nowhere to be found. Darkness and silence was the only thing surrounding him yet again.

It felt so right to be here and yet this place was suffocating him. He had never seen that kind of expression on Hao's face before. It was so confusing. So out of place. So… wrong.

There he was again. But not exactly in person. Numerous screens seemed to materialize out of thin air. All of them containing the same picture. Hao. He was just standing there, his usual, cold demeanor in place.

And then, Hao reached out, his hand passing right through the screen, towards him.

The gesture was familiar. But this time… This time he couldn't help but feel that the meaning behind it was different.

No. It wasn't an invitation to join forces with him.

Yes. This time… it was a plea.

Plea for what though?

His hesitation didn't go unnoticed. Hao's features saddened, as well as his eyes.

He was instantly alarmed. No, he hadn't meant to inflict such a reaction. Wanting to atone for his mistake, he lifted his own hand as well, only slightly noticing that movement had returned to his body.

_Yoh-dono!_

Those voices again. Couldn't they just leave him be for crying out loud?

_Yoh-dono!_

Wait. That wasn't one of the voices from before. Hao's eyes widened, probably recognizing the voice, before he scowled. He reached out yet again in an attempt to take a hold of the other boy, but Yoh was still too far.

Yoh could still hear that distant voice calling him, but he was only partially listening. His attention was focused on Hao. What was that emotion shining in Hao's eyes? Was that… despair? Was his brother afraid that he was going to be taken away?

_Yoh-dono!_

His hand was only a few inches away from Hao's, he could practically feel his fingertips touching warm skin.

_YOH-DONO!_

And then there was only light. It came out of nowhere. Blinding him with its brightness and embracing him with its warmth.

He felt like screaming. That light had taken him away. He had wanted to get away from that place, but now he only wished he could go back.

Before those voices had come plaguing him, he had felt at ease. It was so serene.

He wanted to get that feeling back. He couldn't place exactly what it was, but he just knew he had never felt like that.

But it was all gone now. He could still feel those cruel words resonating within his mind. That was the only thing he was grateful for. That he didn't have to listen to them anymore.

But they still pained him.

Why though? They weren't even directed at him.

His ears were slowly being bombarded by loud, clashing sounds. And this time, he was even able to register it when his body moved, standing up slowly on its own accord.

Yes, he was back to reality.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**

**Hehe, could it be that Yoh begins to feel sympathy for Hao?**

**Please review! I really want to know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: Not over yet**

Pain.

Excruciating, stinging pain shot through his body, filling him to the core.

It was so intense and so sudden that he doubled over, his hand clenching the white fabric above his chest, right above his heart. It felt as if his very soul had been ripped right out of his chest.

But no, it wasn't _his_ soul.

It might was originated from him but it didn't belong solemnly to him either. It might was a part of his essence but at the same time it responded to someone else too. And that someone else had just been forcefully torn out of him!

That blasted spirit! It was all his fault. How dare he intervene with his plan? How dare that spirit take away what was rightfully _his_?

From the moment of his rebirth in this world he had been waiting to be reunited with the missing part of his soul. And when Yoh became one with him… god, the bliss he had felt. That feeling of completeness was indescribable.

And Yoh had felt the same way. He knew it. After all his complaining about being an entirely different person now, irrelevant from Hao, in the end not even Yoh was able to resist.

He had felt his twin give in to the temptation, had felt his desire to be whole blend with his own. Describing his satisfaction with words was entirely impossible.

He had won. He had finally won!

Not only had Yoh finally accepted his fate, but with a power no longer cut in half, he had been able to take possession of the Great Spirits as well.

Oh, yes. He was unbeatable now.

He was so overly satisfied with the results that he had even felt like sparing his twin's companions. No… companions wasn't exactly precise. How was that word that Yoh insisted on calling them again?

Oh, that's right… friends.

Well, no matter. They were so amusing, actually believing that they held a chance on defeating him. Heh, those fools.

He had broken their oversouls a couple of times already, but they stubbornly refused to give up. However, he had to admit that their loyalty to his lesser half was admirable.

He would at least give them the credit for that.

Never the less, the fact still remained. They had no chance against him.

And even though they strongly refused to accept that fact, it was pretty obvious that someone else certainly had. The way Anna just sat there, head lowered, hands limply at her sides, it was so powerless… so defeated. He just loved it.

He stood victorious.

He had been able to take down their king skipping his knights completely. But not extinguish him exactly. He had simply achieved on making the White King realize the single fact that it was unable to resist the Black King, the King of chaos.

And when he was over with him, he had finally moved on to the rest of the pawns. Wiping them out one by one and even succeeding on breaking the infamous ruthless Queen along the way.

He had been so absorbed in his victory however, that he had forgotten all about the King's guardian.

Huge, foolish mistake!

That samurai spirit managed to see through his error and wasted no time to take advantage of it.

If only he had eliminated that last piece when he still had the chance!

He was about to give the finishing blow, to call _checkmate_, when the results of the samurai's attempts began to settle in.

And now he paid for his grave mistake by having the tables turned. He watched as the knights' faces lit up at the sight of their king standing up, on shaky feet, but still standing.

His face scrunched up into a scowl.

The game was still in process. But he'd have the last say in it.

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**

**I know it was kinda sort but I wanted to write about Hao's feelings too.**

**So, there you have it!**

**And don't forget that reviews are cherished! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER THREE: What now?**

**Hao's pov:**

I could feel my blood boiling. I was angry, god I was going insane with irritation.

Those fools! Smiling and laughing with joy at their achievement. How dare they interfering with my plans? Because it wasn't just that spirit's doing, no. It was their fault too! Keeping me distracted like that and making me lose sight of my goal.

But I'll make them pay. All of them shall pay for opposing me!

I raised my arm, ready to show them that they should have never played with fire if they didn't wish to get burnt. I'll make them see that hell's own fire feels like cool water on their skin compared to _my_ powers! And after I'm done with them they'll wish they'd never rebel against me.

But ever so slowly, I could feel my eyebrows creasing into a scowl. Something wasn't right. I stood there, ready to send Spirit of Fire feast upon their souls, and just stared at the direction everyone else was looking at right now. The newly revived other half of my soul.

And yet, I still couldn't shake off that feeling.

Watching a bit more closely, I realized that Yoh was actually using the stone pillar behind him to support his weight. Glancing at those idiots that my twin called friends, I saw that now they were frowning too. Probably because they had noticed the same thing. That Yoh was trembling.

But as Yoh lifted his free hand, the one that he wasn't using to lean against the pillar, to clutch his head, I noticed something else. Something that made my scowl deepen.

Yoh… his soul was upset.

That didn't make any sense to me. I knew that we were connected, him not only being my other half but my twin as well, but this had never happened before.

It was as if his soul had never left me. Like it was still inside of me. I could feel the shapes it was taking, meaning, Yoh's emotions. Just like when I felt him accepting the truth, when I felt his craving for becoming whole.

But now, he was simply uneasy.

And then, when he lifted his head, I'm ashamed to admit that I was startled once our eyes met. I expected them to be filled with their usual joy, burning with a new resolve to defeat me… but sorrow? I didn't even know that he was capable of feeling such an emotion. It kind of, unsettled me.

I mean, out of the two us, I'm the one that has taken over most of the negative emotions. I feel all the anger, hatred, venomous disgust, lust for vengeance and betrayal that he never got to experience. On the other hand, he's the personification of joy, kindness, and happiness that I once felt.

Could it be… did sucking his soul have anything to do with it? I didn't know that showing him pieces of my past would have gotten him so shaken up. Heh, no wonder he's the lesser half. Getting upset over something that didn't even concern him.

It's pretty hilarious actually. His comrades are seriously considering the idea that he got wounded. Idiots. As if I'd ever harm my other half. Now that I think of it, I should just hurry up and suck his soul right back in. But this time I won't let anyone get in my way!

**Normal pov:**

God, it was painful. His head felt like it was going to explode at any moment. Why the heck was he so affected by those poisonous words? Well, scratch that. He already knew the reason. But still…

"Yoh-dono!"

His head snapped to the right, tearing his gaze from his brother's. He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face at the sight of his loyal, spirit guardian.

"Hey, Amidamaru."

The white-haired spirit stared at him, his worry streaked face melting into a relieved expression. "I'm so glad you're unhurt." Yoh opened his mouth to reply but he was abruptly cut off.

"Yoh-kun." Manta's face lit up into a smile when he saw his friend smiling back at him like usual and he could only nod vigorously when Yoh said, "It's good to see you again, Manta."

Yoh's sight was blocked all of a sudden by another person. Blinking, the boy looked up, gentle brown eyes coming in contact with harsh onyx ones. "…Anna." As soon as he muttered her name, his lips curled up into a wince, Anna having placed his headphones right back where they belonged, behind his ears. He hadn't even realized they were gone until that moment. But give him a break; couldn't she at least be a tad gentler?

"Welcome back." the blonde itako said quietly, almost like a whisper, eyes not even looking at him but someplace to her left. But never the less, Yoh smiled at her. It was actually quiet a compliment coming from Anna, and knowing her, he wouldn't hear something like that again in a _long_ time.

"Yoh!"

"Master!"

"Yoh-kun!"

"Yoh!"

"Yoh-kun!"

"Yoh!"

At the multiply shouts of his name, Yoh looked up, seeing his group of friends gather, or more precisely hover, around him, creating some kind of protective circle with their oversouls.

Grinning from ear to ear, Yoh raised his arm, waving widely at his friends. "Hi, guys!" The shamans could only stare at him with mouth agape, expression softening ever so slowly.

Ryu grinned right back at his 'master', Chocolove, Faust and Lyserg smiled while Horo Horo chuckled. Ren on the other hand rolled his eyes but the amused glint was unmistakable in them when he looked back at Yoh.

"For someone that had their soul taken away from them, you seem awfully cheerful, Yoh." The person in question blinked at him, his hand ceasing its movements before doubling over behind his head, a sheepish chuckle passing through his lips. "Is that so?"

Horo Horo laughed good heartedly. "You gotta admit Ren. That's one of his good points."

Chocolove laughed as well, voicing his agreement. The Chinese shaman huffed, the corners of his lips twisting into the tiniest hint of a smile. But then, his expression turned deadly serious.

"Don't get carried away. We can finally focus on Hao without worrying about losing Yoh in the process." His words seemed to have the perfect impact. Everyone went quiet. The rest of the shamans nodded, eyes glowing with resolve.

At least, everyone but Yoh did.

A deep chuckle echoed throughout the field all of a sudden, soon developing into full, vibrating laughter. It caught everyone's attention effectively, making them turn towards its owner. Hao.

"Uhm, actually…" Yoh said nervously, but the others were too busy glaring at his brother to notice anyway.

"You ignorant, little fools!" Hao snapped once his laughter died down, an almost insane glint in his eyes, "Don't you realize what you've just done? Did you actually think that when two halves of the same soul were reunited and then one of them was forced away, that the bond would be broken?"

"What's your point then?" Ren shouted, not liking in the slightest where this was going.

Hao didn't make any attempts to hide his grin. "Why, it's quiet simple." he said and then paused dramatically just for the thrill of it and gaining great satisfaction when he saw not just Ren but everyone's faces twisting into irritating grimaces.

Grin turning into a twisted smirk, Hao lifted one hand and pointed a finger at Yoh. "In order for you to kill me, you'd have to kill _him_ first."

Gasps echoed throughout the entire field, making Yoh flinch ever so lightly and Hao's smirk to broaden. "And here comes the next and most crucial question. Are you _that_ determinate to take me down that you'd be willing to sacrifice my _otouto's_ life as well?"

**I apologize for taking so long to update, fellas.**

**Heh, seems like the events took an abrupt turn. But why Yoh seems so unfazed by the new revelations? And more importantly, how are they going to deal with the situation at hand?**

**I guess you'll just have to wait to find out. ^^ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for not updating so soon, everyone.**

**Here's the next chapter!**

**CHAPTER FOUR****: Revelations!**

Silence.

Everything was quiet. It was as if everything had stilled after Hao's declaration. The wind, the birds and most importantly, his friends.

Yoh glanced at them, worried about their seemingly everlasting silence. Even Anna had grown impossibly quiet, which wasn't a good sign, not in the slightest.

Ren was the first to recover, not that Yoh expected anything less of course. The Chinese shaman turned his onyx eyes to Yoh, and for some peculiar reason, the latter couldn't help but feel unsettled under that gaze. Were his friends disgusted with him now?

"What is he talking about?" Ren said after a moment, eyes glued to Yoh's form, intent to see his reaction. He wanted Yoh to laugh like he usually did and tell them that it was a prang, a cold, humorless joke, but a joke nevertheless. When the other boy however averted his gaze, Ren instantly knew that something was wrong.

"Tell them, otouto. It seems they want to hear it from your own little mouth in order to believe it to be true." Hao said, earning Ren's glare in return, but he purposely ignored him. He focused his attention on Yoh instead, but when the boy refused to even look at him, his hands clenched into fists. Anger swept over him as Yoh kept ignoring him, anger that was increasing rapidly.

And then, Yoh flinched.

Hao was genuinely startled by this, but then his lips curled into a cruel smirk. How could those fools still refuse to acknowledge his words? They had all the proof they needed right before their very eyes. Yoh had felt his anger! He had felt it as if it was his own and involuntary reacted to it.

"Yoh!" he shouted and to his utmost pleasure, this time his gaze met nearly identical brown eyes looking up at him. He lifted one hand and pointed at Yoh, brown eyes blazing with scorching fire, invisible to any human eye. But he knew that shamans could see it. All of his enemies had cowered in fear before the never ending flames that burnt in his eyes.

It was always a wonder though, how that boy, that weak, vulnerable and pathetic excuse of a shaman, seemed to be immune to his fire. Refusing to bend under his will like so many others did. And Hao could be very persuasivewhen he wished to. It was kind of annoying the way that boy wouldn't be swayed by his _persuasion_, but yet so utterly intriguing at the same time. No one had dared to defy him like that and lived to brag about it.

Even those pathetic X-LAWS. They kept going on and on about passing judgment over him, that they'd make him pay for all the turmoil he had caused. What ambitious little pests. But in the end, they couldn't even save themselves, let alone the world.

And yet, for some reason that stubborn twin of his refused to be intimidated. It was like a puzzle that no matter how much you tried you couldn't find the correct pieces that matched. You couldn't find the solution. Oh, yes. Yoh was just like a puzzle. It would irk you to no end by its seemingly innocence appearance when deep down you knew it would refuse to even budge unless it wanted to. Yet at the same time, it made you obsessively intrigued by it, made you determinate to solve it.

And as he stared at those eyes that resembled his own so much, he couldn't help the challenging smirk that graced over his features. But the boy didn't sway under his gaze, didn't flinch and didn't cower like the others.

"Tell them." he ordered again, this time emphasizing the words.

Yoh just stared at him for a while, not looking away but not giving any signs that he had acknowledged him either. Then, the others took it upon themselves to act, obviously having snapped out of their shock finally.

"_You_." Horo Horo spat furiously, pointing menacingly at him, "Will. Not. Tell. Him. What. To. Do!"

Hao had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. They way they fussed over his lesser half was beginning to get on his nerves.

"It's true." All eyes shifted over to Yoh at the words that left his mouth, but the boy still didn't avert his gaze from Hao's as he spoke. "At least I think it's true."

"What the hell do you mean 'you think'?" Ren shouted heatedly, his temper getting the better of him. Only then did Yoh move his gaze over to them, his face taking an apologetic expression.

"I know it _feels_ different. Before, I wasn't able to sense his feelings so vividly, as if I experience them myself. And believe me, it's no pleasant thing either. So much hatred and repulsion…" His hand seemed to move on its own accord, as if he was in a trance. It grasped the fabric above his chest and clenched. "…It's unnerving, to say the least."

"But Yoh-kun…" Lyserg began, eyebrows creasing into a worried frown, "he said that in order to kill him, we'll have to kill you too."

Yoh shook his head. "That's kind of vague. However, the fact remains that if he dies, somehow I'll be forced to follow. And of course, the same works the other way around. If I die, then he'll die too."

Looks of horror was the only thing that greeted him. He tried to smile but he could feel it tremble. He sighed. He could sympathize with his friends. They felt like they were at a dead end. There was no way back and the path that led forward was blocked. In other words, they were trapped. But surprisingly enough, that didn't seem to bother him.

He had always wondered the reason behind Hao's actions, the reason why he acted to cruel and apathetic to others' pain. In fact, he seemed quite intent to be the very _cause_ of the others' pain. Why though? What could have possibly triggered such a reaction? This was his only chance to figure it out, to figure Hao out.

He focused his attention back to his friends, staring at each and every one of them individually. He knew the decision they would take before they had even taken it. After all this time they had spent together, he was able read them like an open book.

This time, the smile that crept over his face wasn't forced, it came completely natural to him.

With a small giggle, he let himself flop down on the ground, planting his palms firmly on the ground behind him and leaning against his arms. The others gave him an odd look but he merely grinned in return.

"It seems we've hit a bit of a dead end, don't you think?"

His friends shared a look, identical grins breaking over their features. Chocolove chuckled, bringing his arms up and folding them behind his head. "Honestly Yoh, you're probably the only one capable to work such a predicament."

At the chuckles of agreement that rose all around him, Yoh couldn't help but laugh sheepishly. His gaze flickered over to the side briefly, catching Hao's eyes. The pyro shaman cocked a perfect eyebrow at him, arms crossed over his chest. Yoh tilted his head to the side slightly, a small smile playing at his lips, inwardly savoring the perplexed expression that took over his brother's features as he tried to work out the reason behind that peculiar happiness.

"Yoh."

Blinking out of his daze, the person in question, turned his head to the side, instantly meeting the dark gaze of his fiancé. Anna had folded her arms over her chest, a stance that eerily reminded him of Hao. This couldn't be good.

"Answer something for me, Yoh. If _this_ hadn't occurred, would you have killed him?"

Anna's question caught him off guard. Kill him? Kill Hao? He tilted his head backwards, eyebrows furrowing ever so lightly in thought as he gazed at the moving clouds above.

Yes, wasn't that what they expected of him? To put an end to Hao's evil deeds? And of course, the fact that he was Hao's other half instantly deemed _him_ as the only person suitable enough for such an act, seeing as he was likely to have pretty much just as much power as Hao possessed.

But Hao wasn't just anyone. He was his brother… his twin brother none the less. And they expected him to kill him, just like that? Unexpectedly, the answer seemed quiet clear to him.

"Wound him, yes. But kill him…" he trailed off, knowing for certain that Anna would be able interpret the meaning.

"Then, you must know what this means, don't you? That there's no other way."

And everything seemed to lapse into silence yet again, Ren and the others glancing awkwardly between Anna and Yoh, having no idea what they were talking about.

Yoh's expression remained passive, only his eyes were moving from time to time as they followed the clouds' every movement. And then, his lips curled into an almost faint, sad smile, a smile that clearly stated that he was perfectly aware of the consequences his answer would bring.

"I know." he finally said, voice devoid of any kind of emotion that would betray whether or not he was bothered by result that was sure to follow.

Anna nodded curtly once and lifted her hand, her sea-colored beads clutched tightly in it. They glowed suddenly a bright blue light. It lasted only for a second but when it faded, the two Shikigami gods were standing behind her, eyes focused solely on Anna as if waiting for their orders. Then, Anna stretched her arm forward, pointing a single finger at Yoh. The monsters followed the direction of her hand, eyes instantly narrowing once they settled upon the figure she was pointing, their target.

They lunged forward.

The other shamans gasped but before they could inquire as to what was going on, they were interrupted by a sudden cry of fury.

"NO!" Hao shouted, pure rage literally written all over his face. That blasted itako! How dare she? When he tapped into their newly established link and got a glimpse of Yoh's emotions, he realized with horror what that woman was planning to do. And if she were to succeed, his scheme would be ruined. Everything would have been for nothing.

With a swift move he raised his arm, the Spirit of Fire instantly doing the same, like a puppet following the puppeteer's every move. "Stop her!" Hao bellowed and with a roar of understanding, a cyclone of scorching fire shot out of the spirit's palm.

Yoh never reacted, his expression remaining one of serene calmness. The two gods growled dangerously, bringing down their clawed hands just as the boy closed his eyes. The result was immediate.

Yoh slumped to the ground unconscious, the beam of fire that had been lunged by the Spirit dispersing into nothing just as Hao's form was seen falling from its shoulder and right into the void.

The Spirit of Fire let out a startled shriek before it dove right after its master, catching Hao's falling form in midair and cradling him gently between its palms. It took one look at the shaman's unconscious body before its blazing green eyes glared at the group of people on the ground with all the strength it could muster, making the boys involuntary shiver under that gaze.

With a last fury filled cry the Spirit of Fire was gone.

"Yoh-kun!" Manta and Lyserg exclaimed simultaneously, both rushing to their friend's aid. The green haired shaman was the first to reach him, kneeling beside him and lifting him as gently as possible from the ground. Manta had also kneeled on the ground to inspect Yoh's injury when a horrified gasp was torn from his throat.

The rest of their friends were instantly around them, straining their necks in order to see what the problem was only to pale at the sight of that blood puddle that had gathered all around Yoh's head.

"Bloody hell, Anna! What were you thinking?" Ren yelled furiously, black eyes meeting the equal black of ones of the itako and glaring at the impassiveness in them.

Anna didn't even blink at his outburst, but her forehead wrinkled ever so lightly as her gaze settled on the blood that had finally stopped pooling from under Yoh's head after Faust had begun attending the injury.

"It seems I overdid it a little."

"A little?" Chocolove managed incredulously.

"He's fucking shedding off all his blood, Anna!" At the horrified look in Manta's eyes, Horo Horo took a step back sheepishly, "Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little," he hurried to correct himself before refocusing back to Anna, "but the fact remains that he's bleeding, and quiet heavily for that matter!"

Ren rolled his eyes at the blue haired boy's slip back then, his own attention focusing on Anna too. "Why did you do that for, anyway?" he asked as evenly as he could in his attempt to regain control of his flaring temper.

"What did you expect me to do?" Anna snapped, black eyes narrowing viciously, "You were here, you saw what happened. And don't you dare tell me that you were still planning to take down Hao, because we both know it'll be a big, fat lie!"

They were all taken aback by her outburst, since Anna was never one to lose her composure so easily. Ren let out an exasperated sigh, hand coming up to comb through his hair in a rare gesture of helplessness. "I still can't believe that Yoh is now glued to the hip with that bastard. And quiet literally. I mean, you can't kill one of them without killing the other along the way."

"No one can believe it, mate." Chocolove said as his shoulders slumped. Horo Horo frowned, gaze planted firmly on the ground.

"This," Anna said while gesturing with her hand towards Yoh, "was the only way we could have proceeded without risking any _permanent_ damage, if you know what I mean."

They all nodded slowly. It was true. Since their lives were now so closely linked, by injuring one they injured the other. And Hao had already proved that his powers, no matter how hard they wanted to deny it, were far more stronger than their own. Meaning that if they wanted to make him retreat without having won the entire war first, they had to sacrifice a little something in return.

But that was alright. They hurt their friend, it was true. But by doing so they had ensured Hao's loss since he hadn't been able to take full possession of the Great Spirits, only a portion of them. But most importantly, they hadn't lost Yoh. When Hao devoured his soul, they had been forced to accept that if they wanted to destroy Hao they would have to let go of their friend, seeing as how his soul was inside Hao's body.

But yet again, Yoh proved to them a fact that they already knew but had momentary forgotten. That the kid was full of surprises. Not only he managed to come back to them, with a little help of course, but he had brought his powers with him too, leaving Hao weaker after losing the part that had supposedly belonged to him from the beginning.

Of course, Yoh's return had come with a price. It seemed that his brief connection with Hao hadn't broken when they separated again. After all, as Hao said, when two halves become a whole, even if it is for a little while, they can never go back to the way they were before.

But no matter the outcome, there was one thing they had silently all agreed on… They wouldn't lose Yoh again after having taken him back, even if that meant letting Hao go.

"What now?" Horo Horo asked after a while, voicing the very question that had been on everyone's mind.

"There's nothing more we can do here. The only fortunate thing that came out of Yoh's predicament is that we were able to take advantage of it and prevent Hao from taking over. That is enough…"

But the words _for now _hung heavily on the air around them, making their chests tighten in a wicked way and bring a sickening feeling to their stomach.

"It's time to go back then." Ren said in conclusion, shaking his head at the irony of the statement itself. They had come here with the same purpose in mind, the same goal. To become Shaman King. And yet, along with that goal came other, inevitable things. Such as making enemies, friends, learning to accept defeat, taking responsibility of their actions in the past and generally, becoming better.

But then, along came Hao.

The biggest threat to not only achieving their goal but to the entire world as well. And just like that, becoming Shaman King was not important anymore, nor was the reason they had been fighting for all this time. It was ironic how so many people, with the same original purpose in mind, with the intention of fighting each other in order to stand victorious, had united their powers with a new purpose now in mind.

To prevent a single person from claiming the title they had craved so much.

All of their previous fighting seemed so plainly ridiculous and childish compared to Hao's intentions.

'Not that it matters anymore.' Ren thought bitterly, genuinely startled when a hand took hold of his shoulder gently but yet firmly. He didn't have to look in order to know to whom it belonged to. Normally, he would have shrugged the offensive hand off but the fact that he didn't, made him realize exactly how much this whole thing had changed him.

"It's time to go home." Horo Horo said, voice filled with a resolve that Ren was certain the other boy didn't possess when they had started their journey.

His dark eyes drifted over to the unconscious form on the ground, wondering for a moment exactly how the boy was able to withstand all that weight that others so uncaringly had placed on his shoulders and still be able to smile like that.

Yoh was strong, he didn't bother denying that fact, but it was only then that he realized the extent of his strength and it didn't have anything to do with shamanic abilities.

"Aa. That it is." he agreed after a while, lifting his gaze to stare at the person next to him. Horo Horo grinned cheekily, head moving to the side to look at the rest of them. Ren followed the direction of his gaze, noting the smiles that lit up their friends' faces before as one, they all turned their attention on the figure on the ground, expressions softening with fondness.

Yes, they might have lost their chance to achieve their dreams, but they had gained something else along the way.

And for the time being, they were able to cast all thoughts of Hao aside.

**END OF CHAPTER FOUR**

**Special thanks to SK-fan7, Nako13yeh, Thunder of Friendship, darkshadowgirl666, and emloha for all their support.**

**I hope you liked the chapter and if you did, then please leave a review. Even if it's a simple **_**it was ok**_**, at least I will know that you liked it.**


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